| Show VORWO The Salt Lake Tribune DIO Thigh deep in snow it's hard to think waterwise FOOL &GARDEN Taking root in the air Tillandslas dre around the state averages about 123 experts say I am certain that in Snowpack the number must be closer to 123 million percent of normaL 1 discovered this not with a fancy measuring device but during an early morning — and futile — search for the spare house key (1 will never ever deliver my son for an band trip in my jammies and slippers and he will never ever lock the house on his way to my car when 1 don't have my key) Before diving into the thigh-higdrifts at 4:45 am I briefly considered the health of the native plants that would be trampled in my quest Then I missed last year's t drought and wondered what illness 1 must suffer to give waterwise plants even a fleets) 4t ing thought when they are under all that snow and I am l''' ' locked out of my house 1 was set straight later in the day by Salt Lake County Extension horticulturist MagHILARY gie Wolf who reminded me of all the reasons we should en- GROUTAGE joy native waterwise plants Native plants are beautiful SMITH have fewer pest problems and ON GARDENING are not as particular about their soil as others might be Wolf said And those are all good reasons to grow them no matter what the water year looks like The Utah Native Plant Society has been hosting workshops on native plant propagation for several years The classes held in the winter have become so popular the group joined together this year with the Utah State University Extension Service to increase the number offered from two to six Master gardeners with special training once taught the classes only In Salt Lake County now they will offer courses in Cache Davis and Utah counties as well Participants can choose from cliffrose butterbrush alkali sacaton Utah yucca shining muttongrass James buckwheat and gooseberryleaf globemallow The classes begin next month To register contact the in Salt Lake City 801- extension office at at Thanksgiving in Davis County ' in Cache County Point and of bottom a still frozen into the are My slippers d snowdrift and 1 never did find the house key and sheepish 1 returned to the school's band room to reclaim my son just before he left town Without pause he jumped into his window well jiggled the window and crawled into his bedroom Wolf says my native plants will survive the snowy trampling in fine form and 1 believe her My son says he had never before used his window to exit or enter the house and I'm not so sure 1 believe him easy-to-gro- plants that don't need soil w BY BETH BOTTS ' k - - -- 4400mt )it Ao 4 Snow-covere- 1 o S 1 44 P' t 4 Air - i v ' - ''"- - ''Isr 4 1 i ' - ' t 's" e - 'T I I - — t ' 4' lo I 1 A 1' 4 -- 4 I( 14 1 4 ff:' ' r :" ''-- ' r' ' ' ' o ' '''' - - to J'' V:41 4 ' "'' ' I ''llt ' :1 vt It t''' ' " ' ik- v ''' 't 411t-7- i'' ? it 4 l" 1 ' Free as air CHICAGO tillandsias are they are called They don't quite live on air but they can live in midair Air plants perch in high places and take in moisture and nutrients through their leaves not their roots which they use only for anchoring themselves to trees or rocks As houseplants air plants are oddly charming and "one of the friendliest plants to grow" says Wally Fox president of the Bromeliad Society of Greater Chicago "They don't need a lot of care" The air plant you are most likely to recognize is Spanish moss (Tillandsia usneoides) the gray-gree-n fluff that drapes atmospherically from trees in the deep South It's not a parasite it takes nothing from the tree That's just where it hangs out Most tillandsias sold as houseplants are small puffs of curving spiky leaves with silvery Tillandsia ionantha the most common "It looks like a little porcupine" Fox says Tillandsias which are members of the same bromeliad family as the pineapple are native to moist warm areas of the Americas They do well in common household temperatures near 70 degrees When it comes to watering tillandsias there are two schools: "the misters and the dunkers" says Martha Goode secretary of the bromeliad society She's a dunker Once a week she immerses all her air plants in rainwater for 15 minutes Paul Scott of Gethsemane Garden Center in Chicago is a mister He suggests spritzing three times a week Kate Sadowski horticulturist with the Chicago Botanic Garden in Glencoe M urges occasional dunking but says a misting every couple of days is sufficient lithe plants are in a relatively moist atmosphere as they are in the garden's greenhouses — ' r' r'rook 1'' Kai& Ridder News Servie early-mornin- 3 e' ---- r -- - -- - A 4464t eit 4 ‘4-- $ - ' 4 4144' 1 tI - g ' ' :' -- !ladderNaos &nitride photo Knskitt puts the finishing touches on a topiary Christmas tree created out of bromeliads with tillandslas as at the Chicago Botanic Garden in Glencoe UL Tillandslas draw moisture and nutrients from the air garlands Liz Feldner Bottled water or rainwater in the summer is better than tap water says Michael Strickland Foligrower manager for Joy-Sy- l age World a wholesaler of air plants in Apopka Fla The chlorine and minerals in treated tap water can be harmful Rainwater — which Goode collects from her gutter downspouts contains enough nutrients so you don't ever have to fertilize she says Air circulation is important After watering the plants must drain and dry out thoroughly Goode says In the rain forest they would be drenched in frequent rains but then would dry in the breeze The other thing tillandsias need is light — bright Filtered light preferably right by a window Sadowski says If air plants don't grow in soil in pots how do you display them? Goode keeps her collection in a basket on the windowsill Every week after she dunks them she re Pres enan(j - Waltutiday January 14 2004 Crewing Wands las Tillandsias are easy to grow though they live differently than most houseplants Here are a few tips for their care Water Bottled water or rainwater is better than tap water Mist or dunk plants then drain and let them dry out Air Good circulation is essential Provide bright filtered light preferably right by a south or east window Light Pot and soil: None needed Tillandsia plants perch or dangle and draw moisture and nutrients from the air To learn more: See the Bromeliad Society International's Web site at httplibslorg - arranges them so all get light and air circulation You also can use waterproof glue such as Liquid Nails to fa an arrangement of air plants to a handsome branch or rock A healthy happy tillandsia eventually will send up a bloom from its center that lasts two to three weeks After the bloom dies the plant will start producing little side plants — "pups" tillandsia fanciers call them In time Scott says the plant will multiply into a little colony When a pup is at least the size of the mother plant you can cut it off carefully and give it a home of its own Scott ' says two-thir- 11 1 '1)( f 111) (TLC ttLJ' IJJPTM - t ty)- ill a Cu-- - s ' Ken Roesbert Grocery Guru' 1: U 'V Macey's Meal of the Week Breakfast for a family of 5 for 5 days for less than $500 including Whole Grain Cereal Skim Milk Fresh Fruit and Hot Oatmeal 2 Boxes ()Whole Grain Post Shredded Wheat sale priced 1 for $300 Use the $075 off 2 boxes Mfg Coupon - 4 kvreJLA w 5 -- A g I I et0'ev 0 t tt tt ' 4t-41 ' l' JA1JAS II ' ne-:-1 r") y er Li 7"1"el itturcs cy s $100 $130 $170 Product $177 jolly Time Mkro-Wa-te Popcorn Keel) ler Fudge Shoppe Cookies Sara Lea20 oz Bread !t v s 1! 17u Hyt):r e II II ' ' ' 1 S6400- - '-- ' - 4 r"") ( Is 1 1 ICI V kv) I I ) c'0121 u -1 I t pack' Sample 'this weeks Iwp Reg Guru's Eds1 1149 $259 $249 Great Dealt i it - !! r----- I 1 ) ) ! - I 1 ()I1 ilK1 0 11 I I C704 11 1I on your grocery bill! 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B $421 'Nfq‘114 1 CEREALS:: 11 oz Apple Jacks 1 a 15 oz Corn Pops 151oz Frosted Flakes a or 11 oz Froot Loops I i ' 1 v ED2cluct NEWSPAPER MFGCOUPONS FROM SUNDAY I1 45001 Breakfasts for a family of 5 for less than $500 including Whole Grain Cereal Fresh Fruit and Skim Milk 5 l'-- - Fruit Blends Light Varieties Fruit on the Bottom InriltInnli or Light and Fit It "111"KELLOGG'S $099 re t N I 11 11 11 i i RIPE op 6 PUIP UL DArIT'Cri TUUtillt1 tg -4 Fresh I 3 lbs Fresh Dole sale priced 3 lbs Te ''''' 1 1 Bananas for $100 Quaker Oatmeal sale priced $200 Use the $050 Mfg Coupon VI11-1- 7 Quaker Life Cereal sale priced $200 Use the $030 Mfg Coupon VI11-1- 7 3 Boxes of Quaker Fruit and Oatmeal Toastables sale priced $099 Use the $040 Mfg Coupon V1I Use the $500 Rebate Form in this week's Macey's Ad page 2 with Purchase of S Quaker Products ' an Gallon Western Family Skim Milk sale priced $099 with purchase of any 2 Post Cereals and Coupon 67- 4 1 Meal Cost SI4-3- 5 '4 1 I II nrZLA r1 A - - - at 713 rt!‘ -f- I Aldo tsL0: - J 117) 1 N oitra |
